Fop Suggests Way To Curb Radio Abuse

DELRAY BEACH -- The president of the Delray Beach Fraternal Order of Police has recommended to Chief Richard Overman that officers return their radios at the end of the day.

Officer Pete Pitocchelli said in a memo to Overman that the procedure would help alleviate the problems of radio scrambling and allegations that racial slurs were made over the radio in the past several months.

Overman has heard complaints that officers who are trying to talk on their two-way radios are being overridden by other officers activating their radios.

He has also received three complaints of racial slurs over the radio. The most recent complaint was on Feb. 22.

Overman has asked the FOP and the Guardians, an organization of black police officers, for their support in instituting voluntary voice stress analysis tests for the officers.

But Pitocchelli said he thinks returning radios at the end of the shift is a better idea.

``This is something that can be done right away,`` Pitocchelli said on Monday. ``It can narrow the field of those who have radios. We can start the investigation there. The FOP is as interested as the chief in finding out who is doing this.``